Founders Rübæus - Founders Brewing Company

WakeandBake

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Notes 9/26/08
A berry red color pour with a creamy pink head.Aroma is tart berries with a hint of grain.Flavor is tart raspberries with some dry grain,and a kiss of hops . A sharp mouthfeel,thin boddy,hoppy finish.This is not my favorite style,pretty much like a juice box.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 21:04:59 | More by WakeandBake

joepais

Maine

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to a couple of BA's who sent me this
Bottle poured into a snifter produced a finger worth of white head that left fast followed by the lightest of lace. The body was a light raspberry color.

Aromas of raspberries dominate this one and overwhelm your nose in a pleasant way

Flavor is raspberry and a good representation at that. It starts of sweet and finishes a little tart in the end. The only thing I might change would be the mouthfeel; it is a tad light for me.

A good desert brew, treat it as such. One of the better fruit beers I have tried

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 02:30:40 | More by joepais

prototypic

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: This is an interesting looking beer. It's crystal clear and pours a berry red color. Sitting on top is a strawberry cream colored head that's a finger and a half deep. It dissipated quickly and left a very light lacing on the glass.

Smell: The nose okay, but underwhelming. It's dominated by rasberry fruit notes. Somewhat reminds me of New York Seltzer. There's a little bit of an earthy/grainy smell to it. Perhaps a touch of hops. It smells good, but there's not much that's reminiscent of beer.

Taste: The flavor profile is very heavy on the rasberry. No shock there. It's a nice taste though. It's very sweet and sugary. It does have a striking bitter bite that emerges. Perhaps it's attributable to the infusion of some hops. I'm not quite sure. It is a little earthy. No alcohol is noted. Finishes very sweet and a little bitter. Honestly, it's got an okay taste. It doesn't have a lot of beer-like qualities, but enough to get by.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: It's light bodied and has a decent feel. It features very active carbonation that really impedes its journey toward being smooth. It goes down relatively easy despite that quality. Drinkability is average. This bottle's going down pretty quickly. But due to it's sweet, non-beer nature, I'm ready to move on to something else.

Rübæus is an okay fruit beer. I'm not a fan of the style and this one suffers the same flaws as others. Primarily, it's very heavy on fruit and sweetness and short on ordinary good beer qualities. There's some here, but not enough. That being said, it's okay. It's difficult to offer any meaningful criticism. That'd probably lead to it no longer being a fruit/vegetable beer. All in all, it's alright. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2008 02:38:00 | More by prototypic

eagles22

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance...very dull...but a nice light raspberry color and some bubbles

Smell: wonderful...smells just like fresh raspberries

Taste: raspberries...sweet rapsberries at first but ends bitter which i dont really like

Mouthfeel very thing not good at all..aftertaste is alright though

Drinkability: not very high..good for a dessert beer

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2008 23:56:20 | More by eagles22

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: This was a dull, muddied pink color. It poured with a whispy, soapy head that quickly faded to nothing.

s: Raspberry jam, not much else.

t: Here as well, just raspberries. They are tart with an edge of sweetness that never crosses over into cloying.

m: Pretty still, but it doesn't feel all that thin.

d: Makes for a nice dessert beer. One at a time for me though.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 11:44:17 | More by DIM

sleazo

New York

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A_Pours a hazy brown which reveals magenta when held to the light. Zero head, zero lacing.

S_The aroma is farily strong with a raspberry jam type aroma. There is also a nice lightly toasted malt aroma which reminds you that you are drinking a beer.

T_Runs the gamut of the flavours of the raspberry. Starts out with a good fruit sweetness followed by a bit of the seed. The finish is nicely done as it mimics the tartness of the actual fruit. There is also a nice biscutiy malt component as in the smell to keep thigns grounded. Not much in the way of hops, but that really isn't the point.

M_Slightly syrupy with a mild carbonation.

D_A very nice fruit beer that doesn't become cloying. Makes for a good dessert. I could use a bit more head, but who couldn't?

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2008 02:27:08 | More by sleazo

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I love Raspberries, so I give most Raspberry beers I find at least a shot.

Red, Raspberry colored body with a head that is a different shade of the same color. A little bit of retention, but no lacing.

As soon as I open the bottle I notice a nice Raspberry aroma, very appealing.

Tasty beer too. Real Raspberry flavor throughout. Sweetness in the beginning finishing nice and tart. A malt backbone is noticeable also, but not overpowering. Mouthfeel here is just medium bodied.

Pretty drinkable beer, nice for some raspberry craving.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 16:51:48 | More by Hojaminbag

gdfan47

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

i kinda steer away from most sweet beers since i got into flander's and guezze's but this one is worth checking out

first off my grandmother used to grow rasberries in her backyard, so growing up we always had jam and fresh raspberries

so needless to say i like rasberries

this one is very good
in my opinion much better than a popula belgian rasberry lambic(which shall remain namelss)

good work founders

this is good, kinda too sweet to drink more than a few , but def nice and im very happy i can get it sometimes

ps they also make an imperial version (blushing monk) I have yet to try this but really want to

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2008 09:30:43 | More by gdfan47

stangski83

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Girlfriend flat out loves this stuff. Not nearly as sweet as berry weiss but still has lots of good aroma and very drinkable. Not too sweet and you can definitely smell the raspberries. We love drinking Lindeman's Framboise - but you cannot drink that in quantity. This is the perfect balance of fruit flavor in a beer merged with drinkability. Has a fairly high alcohol content to boot - a few of these will definitely satisfy you on a friday/saturday night if you are a fan of fruit beers (or if your lady is so inclined). Price can be a bit high (we paid 9.49 for a 4-pack, but worth it if you love it - pretend it's $2.50 bottles at the bar!) A nice example of how to balance fruit with beer and not go too far in either direction. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2008 22:31:43 | More by stangski83

keoki182

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Rübæus pours a nice vibrant red with just enough brown notes to suggest this isn't artificially colored. Minimal head; just white lacing five minutes after pour into glass. Aroma is very subdued raspberry, mildly sweet malty aroma. The sip has an exquisite tartness that I wasn't expecting. Really a unique beer. There is just a really nice low-key sweetness from the raspberry, but the sourness is what makes me want to keep drinking. Hides the almost 7% pretty darn well. The drinkability numbers are a pinch lower than they should be because the raspberry sweetness might get a bit cloying after too many of these. Very nice fruit beer from the good folks at Founders.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 21:01:31 | More by keoki182

Nutleybeer

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Founders never seems to disappoint. At $9 a 4 pack, this better be good. It was. Poured with a cloudy, pinkish color. Slight head retained. Lacing is present. Mild carbonation seen.

A pleasant, tart scent. The taste matched the smell. Fruity, but not sweet. The sour tartness is clear in the flavor, but not too much, yet enough to leave your mouth slightly puckered after a sip.

It falls somewhere in between a raspberry lambic and a sour ale. Not fully either, though. Quite drinkable, in moderation. Would probably pair well with cheese and nuts, not necessary a full meal.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2008 20:44:01 | More by Nutleybeer

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - no head to speak of, light barely visible carbonation through the ruddy reddish-brown eliixir

S - raspberry predominates the aroma, it really takes over, there is a discernible malty backbone however

T - as imaginable, raspberry flavors dominate the taongue as well as the nose, very fruity, were not talking frozen mushy raspberries, real, fresh raspberry flavors. once again there is a hop/malt balance in the background providing support. This beer avoids the pitfalls that other fruit beers fall prey too, in that it's not too sweet

M - smooth and easy down, this was stolen by the girlfriend. she very much enjoyed, no offensive qualities to speak of

D - incredible, it really acheives a superb drinkability, would compliment dessert quite well, especially pie ala mode, mmm...

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2008 15:24:59 | More by sinstaineddemon

number1bum

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I stole this bottle from a box intended for my brother, his beer winnings courtesy of mymrrnngjkt courtesy from our fantasy baseball league. I've had Blushing Monk so I had to try this one, too.

Pours a bright reddish color with one finger of pinkish/ivory head. Head settles to just a thin lace.

Smells like raspberries and not much different than Blushing Monk, really. Nice, clean, fresh raspberry aroma.

Taste is a bit more tart than the smell, with plenty of raspberry flavor with some light sweetness and some sourness. There is some earthy bitterness through the finish. Mouthfeel is medium, with a crisp carbonation.

For a fruit beer this is quite good. I like the raspberries, and if I had to choose a fruit beer this would be toward the top of my list. It's just like Blushing Monk but not as strong; a perfect little brother.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2008 02:39:55 | More by number1bum

soupyman10

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this one cause I've always been a fan of Founders brews, and I was in the mood for something raspberry-y. This one is basically exactly what I was looking for. Pours a reddish color with a small tan head. Nose is raspberries, sweet malt. Flavor is lightly tart, with a strong sweet raspberry flavor as well, and a light hop background. I'm a fan of good fruit beers, and I think this one qualifies. Very similar to the Blushing Monk (just $10 cheaper), glad I grabbed this one and would again if in a mood.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 15:14:09 | More by soupyman10

Gavage

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a ruby red color with a 1/2" head. No lacing develops.

Smell: raspberries and some soft vanilla tones are easily detectable and enjoyable for the nose.

Taste: loads of raspberries, bits of grass, some red grape sweetness, and some soft vanilla notes. Bitterness is very mild.

Mouthfeel: very crisp throughout. Medium bodied. Aftertaste is bold but short-lived.

Drinkability: very good for the style. This is one of the best fruit beers I have had. The fruit flavor seems fresh, not the usual syrupy or fake flavors most fruit beers have.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2008 11:50:26 | More by Gavage

rye726

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich raspberry color but the head is lacking. The nose is of sweet berries and light grains. Taste has a good amount of tart raspberries followed by some subtle malts. Body is a little fizzy, but goes down well. A nicely balanced fruit beer. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2008 02:37:36 | More by rye726

blackthistle

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a brilliantly clear raspberry red color (imagine that) with a small white head of tight creamy bubbles that dissipates rather quickly. Raspberries are very apparent in the aroma with a sweet, slightly husky/grainy smell in the background. This medium-light bodied ale has a tart raspberry flavor balanced with a clean malt sweetness and a clean but spicy low hops bitterness. Tart raspberry flavor from beginning to end. Very effervescent, crisp carbonation. Not your typical fruit beer and not especially complex, but quite refreshing and very enjoyable especially on a nice summer day.

12 oz. brown bottle w/ twist-off cap; no freshness date

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2008 20:33:34 | More by blackthistle

Nipitato

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased a bottle at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.

A: A cranberry colored hue. Pinkish head is thin, practically not there. Opaque.

S: Wow. A really nice balanced aroma. Fresh raspberries is only a nice compliment to the aroma that includes a nice earthy hoppiness as well as some caramel malt character.

T: Tartness from raspberries finishes out the end. Raspberry flavor is noticeable but not overpowering. Malt base stand up well and provides needed sweetness to strong bitterness.

MF: Medium heavy mouthfeel. Lightly carbonated. For a higher ABV no alcohol warming.

D, notes: Not overly sweet or cloying, which makes this drinkable. Fruit derived bitterness adds to drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2008 16:09:07 | More by Nipitato

smcolw

Massachusetts

2.63/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Red orange color, cloudy. Thin head but it leaves decent lace.

Very berry aroma. It's raspberry but slightly artificial. There's also a metallic smell behind the sweetness.

More sweet than tart, but all raspberry. One dimensional--you could call this a raspberry beer cooler. Needs cheese or something spicy to cut the soda aspects of this. The body is an improvement to the taste but typical.

To close to carbonated Kool-Aid for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2008 02:22:45 | More by smcolw

ckeegan04

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy reddish-pink color with foamy light pink head. Decent retention and lacing. Granted, not what a normal beer looks like, but with raspberries added it seems appropriate.

S - Sweet smell of raspberries with just a little tartness. No other discernable aromas.

T - Light sweetness initially, primarily raspberry in flavor. A lip-puckering tartness comes through mid-drink to provide an excellent balance to the sweetness. Finishes slightly tart. Nothing artificial tasting at all about this fruit beer, excellent job Founders.

M/D - Medium bodied and slightly sticky/syrupy on the feel. Very refreshing and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2008 23:14:22 | More by ckeegan04

roadhouse

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. I know I've always said I have a disliking for fruit beers, but I just tried a sour ale last night after thinking I didn't like them and loved it, so I became inspired to give something else I think I don't particularly like a shot. We shall see how it goes.

Appears an orangish, peachy red color with a half inch bright white head. Very fine particulate floating around, but only visible when held up to light. Leaves a decent amount of lacing.

Aroma is pretty much pure raspberry. A slight tartness as well. It's pleasant but not really something that makes me scream with joy.

The taste is fair as well. It begins with some tart raspberries, and well it finishes about the same. This is what I don't like about fruit beers. They are not very complex. I certainly give props for the taste in either case, despite it's lack of complexity it is quite good.

Mouthfeel is medium-light, a little slick. I usually don't have much to complain about in this department unless it's glaring and this is no exception. It certainly works with the style.

Well I am not converted to fruit beers from this, but it's certainly not too bad. One dimensional as I said, but still. If there was a keg of this and I got free beers I could drink quite a few, but then again what does that prove?

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2008 07:16:53 | More by roadhouse

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy red body, topped by three fingers of level white foam with a slight pink aura.

Plenty of raspberries in the nose.

Taste is sweet juicy raspberries, far more real than the "typical brewpub raspberry (American) wheat". And there is enough quality craft beer present that this is not like some super sweet wine cooler. Just don't look here for a detailed description of the non-raspberry portion of this potion.

Light to medium mouthfeel. Good drinkability - if you like raspberries.

If you're looking for quality fruit beers, definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2008 04:09:39 | More by RonfromJersey

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle received from moose3285. Thanks, Mike! Into my Duvel tulip

A: Crimson with a solid one finger head that's light red in color. Head recedes to a disk rather quick. Leaves some lace on the side of the glass as I swirl. Looks like what I'd expect a raspberry beer to look like

S: Pureed raspberries with no artificial anything. A hint of malt in the back, kind of like a cracker-like. Intriguing.

T: There's no hiding the raspberry flavors in this one. Raspberries all the way, start to finish. Mild alcohol presence on the finish. This reminds me of a diluted NG Raspberry Tart

M: Light with nice carbonation - maybe a little thin for the sweetness?

D: This one's a treat but if i want a raspberry beer, I'd grab the NG one

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2008 05:50:24 | More by DefenCorps

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

2.28/5  rDev -41.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Thank You Gnomefest!

A - Deep red almost purple body with very thin light tan head that fades away very fast. The look of the body is interesting but the consistency of the whole appearance doesn't become a good rating.

S - Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, I wish it had some Halle Berry. I bet that would smell good.

T - There's a strong raspberry flavor in this brew followed by a bitterness and a finish leaving much to be desired.

M - The brew is wet at the lips but finishes quite dry. Impressive.

~ Unfortunately I'm going to struggle finishing this because of the flavor. It is far too fruity for my liking, or to even really be a beer in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 01:22:00 | More by cdkrenz

Duffman

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first thought when pouring this beer was of rhubarb and the color could be called a rhubarb. Not really brown at all or as dark as I would expect it is actually fairly pale in color. Sweet, tart raspberries rush my nose. It is a a very focused and highly sweet aroma almost like a mead. Smells a bit of rhubarb as well and a garden too for that matter. The taste itself is actually not that sweet at all. Fairly tart and it tastes of rhubarb as well. It has a rather vegetal taste to it. The finish is actually a bit sweeter with the characteristics of the nose finally manifesting themselves. Mouthfell is on the light side of medium. Mildly chewy and rather easy-going. Nothing special but not bad either this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 00:35:25 | More by Duffman